Broadband

Native nations historically have lagged in access to high-speed Internet, because of the cost and incomplete broadband coverage data, among other barriers.

Leandro Garcia has been tapped to lead Florida's efforts to expand broadband Internet access throughout the state. Garcia was serving as the deputy director for the Florida Department of Commerce prior to this appointment.

Plus, a new fact sheet from the FCC looks at the future of the ACP; California launches a website to track infrastructure investment; the White House puts $80 million toward wireless innovation; and more.

The Latah County commissioners signed a resolution Tuesday giving jurisdictions across the area there new power to move forward with a large-scale broadband infrastructure project.

Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday announced a $10 million state grant to help deliver affordable broadband to every home in the city. The grant funds come from a wing of the Ohio Department of Development known as BroadbandOhio.

Efforts to extend broadband to unserved parts of the county are underway with the Cooke County Commissioners Court working on new language for a request for bids to provide better Internet service to underserved areas.

In that state, about 180,000 low-income families have benefited from the federal funding, including $100 discounts on device purchases, such as laptops and tablets, and subsidized monthly charges for access.

Construction is expected to begin this year on a project that will allow multiple Internet service providers to operate on the same infrastructure. The project will be financed through general obligation bonds.

Plus, the federal government is strengthening its digital accessibility rules, the California Public Utilities Commission is investing in digital literacy, and more.

The American Council on Education and 17 other education groups pressed the Federal Communications Commission to ensure Internet service providers can't throttle connection speeds or prices for particular content.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's Office of Economic Development has awarded the final round of ConnectSD broadband grants. The awards will make high-speed Internet available to underserved households across the state.

The Missouri Department of Economic Development announced on Friday it was awarding more than $7.9 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to 14 projects to improve cellular coverage across the state.

Plus, a new dashboard compiles state-level rules on digital transformation, the American Library Association launches a new digital inclusion working group for library staffers, and more.

The Texas Broadband Development Office is asking for input from the public on a new plan to expand access to the Internet. Roughly 3 million households in the state lack access to high-speed Internet.

City staff are close to proposing a deal with an Internet service provider that would build a citywide fiber-optic network. An official said they are negotiating with a potential vendor.

Starting Jan. 1, 2024, the Oklahoma Broadband Office will begin to administer more than $1.3 billion in federal grant funding to bring broadband Internet service across the state.

Most U.S. schools reported having Wi-Fi access in every classroom in the 2020-21 school year, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Education released last month. The figure was 96 percent in New York.

With an election that promises to usher in a new administration for North Carolina, CIO James Weaver is focusing his energy on improving the foundations of state IT while also embracing new — and unstoppable — technologies.